U-frame hydraulic vehicle lift



Jan. 13, 1970 J VE. CLARKE 3,489,248

U-FRAME HYDRAULIC VEHICLE LIFT Filed Jan. 25, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 13, 1970 J. E. CLARKE 3,489,248

U-FRAME HYDRAULIC VEHICLE LIFT Filed Jan. 25, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3,489,248 Patented Jan. 13, 1970 3,489,248 U-FRAME HYDRAULIC VEHICLE LIFI Jesse E. Clarke, Hinsdale, Ill., assignor to Autoquip Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Jan. 25, 1968, Ser. No. 700,518 Int. Cl. B661? 7/00; B60s 13/00 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An automotive vehicle lift is formed of a U-frame received in a housing embedded below the floor. The sides of the U are formed by rectangular hollow columns closed at the top and open at the bottom. Within each of the columns and bearing against the closed top thereof and the bottom of the housing are hydraulic lifting cylinders. These are connected to a positive displacement hydraulic pump. The columns are vertically movable in bearings held by the housing, one bearing being adjacent the floor level and a second bearing being spaced downwardly from the rst bearing. At the top of each column is a bolster. Each bolster carries two vehicles supporting arms. The connection between the bolster and the arms is offset from the columns. The bolsters are removably affixed to the columns whereby the offset may either be inwardly, towards the other column, to form a drive-over hoist or outwardly, away from the other column, to provide a drive-through hoist.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Most commonly used vehicle lifts for gasoline stations and the like employ one or more large cylindrical hydraulic rams, the`large diameter ram being necessary to provide stability to resist bending loads on the ram. These are air-hydraulic rams wherein air pressure is employed to force the hydraulic fluid into the ram. When more than two rams are employed in the lifting of a single vehicle there are dangers involved in the event that the rams do not move substantially uniformly and to this end some prior art devices have endeavored to equalize the piston travel with external rack and pinion sets or cable and pulley sets.

A number of disadvantages of such conventional prior art apparatus are overcome by the embodiments of the present invention, to wit: the vertically movable U-shaped carriage of the present invention insure that the two vertically movable columns, which provide flexing stability with the imposition of offset loads, move in unison since they are tied together as a single e ment. These columns with the attendant seals and bearings need not be as accurately formed as is required of the prior art hydraulic rams since they need not be formed to contain the oil pressures encountered in the lifting of a vehicle. Comparatively inexpensive hydraulic cylinders are contained within the columns and need only perform the lifting force, rather than being large enough in diameter to carry offset loads. Being within the enclosed columns the hydraulic cylinders are protected against the deleterious action of dirt, water, cleaning compounds, etc. The complete vehicle lift may be factory assembled and shipped and installed as a unit substantially reducing the problems otherwise attendant field assembly. If desired, the bolsters may be reversed in the -iield to change from a drive-over to a drive-through lift, or vice versa, dependingv upon the whims of the user.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES FIGURE 1 is a vertical section through an installed embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an end view of the embodiment of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a partial section as seen at line 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a partial section as seen at line 4-4 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a partial section as viewed at line 5 5 of FIGURE 1;

'FIGURE 6 is a plan view of the FIGURE 1 embodiment which forms a drive-over vehicle lift; and

FIGURE 7 is a partial plan view illustrating the repositioning of the bolster to form a drive-through lift.

DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENT Although the following disclosure offered for public dissemination is detailed to ensure adequacy and aid understanding, this is not intended to prejudice that purpose of a patent which is to cover each new inventive concept therein no matter how others may later disguise it by variations in form or additions or further improvements. The claims at the end hereof are intended as the chief aid toward this purpose; as it is these that meet the requirement of pointing out the parts, improvements, or combinations in which the inventive concepts are found.

In the disclosed embodiment there is a housing generally 10 -which receives a U-shaped carriage generally 11. The sides of the carriage are formed by vertical columns 12 and 13, which are rectangular in horizontal cross section. The columns are closed at the top by plates 14 and 15. Adjacent their open bottoms the columns are connected by two box cross members 16 and 17.

At the top of the columns are bolsters 19 and 20 respectively. The bolsters are affixed to the columns by four bolts 21 threaded into top plates 14 and 15 respectively. Bolsters 19 and 20 have an end 19a and 20a which overhangs the side of the column. Secured on the overhanging end of the bolsters are links 22. Each link has secured to it a pair of jointed arms generally 23. At the ends of the jointed arms are vehicle contactingpads 24. This arm and pad structure is illustrated and described in greater detail in my prior U.S. Patent No. 3,315,764. In some embodiments the link 22 can be omitted and the arms 23 pivotally attached directly to bolsters 19 and 20.

Referring to FIGURES 6 and 7 particularly, the columns 12 and 13 are spaced from each other a distance approximately equal to the width of the track of an automotive vehicle, said width being indicated by the dimension A. Thus, with the bolsters arranged in the manner illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 6, the lift forms a driveover arrangement. When the vehicle is moved into position for lifting, it straddles the arms 23. By removing bolts 21, the bolsters 19 and 20 can be rotated 180` degrees in a horizontal plane and reaxed to the columns in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 7. The lift now provides a drive-through type arrangement wherein the vehicle moves in the space between the jointed arms 23 as it moves on or off the lift.

Housing 10 includes a bottom `27 which rests on a concrete footing 28. The top of the housing is level with the iioor surface 29. There are two lower sides 30 and lower ends 31. At the top of the lower portion of the housing are two side angles 32 and two end angles 33. There are two internal cross angles 34 best seen in FIGURES 1 and 3. Held within the anges of the angles are lower bearings 35 for the columns 12 and 13. Particularly from FIGURE 3, it will be seen that the bearings 35 also prevent rotation ofthe columns 12 and 13 `about their vertical axes.

Extending above angles 32, 33 are upper sides 37 and upper ends 38. At the floor level are two side angles 39, two end angles 40, two cross angles 41, and a cover )late 42. These upper angles hold upper column bearings I3 as well as felt pads 44. Felt pads 44 serve as seals to )revent the entrance of moisture, dirt and the like.

Within the columns 12 and 13 are hydraulic rams comirising respectively, cylinders 45 and 46 and pistons 47 md 48. The upper end of the pistons contact plates 14 ind 15 while the lower end of the cylinders are sup- Jorted on the housing by tubes v49. Conduits 50 and 51 :ommunicate with cylinders 45 and 46 respectively and vith a central pipe 53. As indicated by dot dash line 54, zentral pipe '53 connects with a suitable hydraulic fluid iupply device generally 55. This would comprise a suita- )le source of hydraulic fluid, a positive displacement hylraulic pump and controls therefore (not shown). When iydraulic iiuid is supplied to cylinders 45 and 46 the :arriage 11 will move to the raised position, illustrated n FIGURE l, to support a vehicle above the floor 4for vork thereon. When the hydraulic fluid is allowed to ow 'rom pipe 53 to the reservoir the lift will be lowered to he dotted line position illustrated in FIGURE 2. The 'act that a pure hydraulic system is employed with small :apacity cylinders, rather than the air-hydraulic systems )f conventional hoists, has the advantages that: the hoist :an be held securely in any raised increment Without the lecessity of props, etc.; it is rapid acting as compared to he conventional apparatus; and it does not have the mushy character encountered where compressed air is nvolved.

I claim:

1. A below-the-oor vehicle lift for connection to a :ource of hydraulic fluid, said lift including:

a housing adapted to be imbedded with all but the top thereof below the oor;

a generally U-shaped carriage with two vertical columns forming the sides of the U and a base connecting member between the lower parts of the co1- umns, said columns being hollow with an open bottom and a closed top, said carriage being within said housing with the top of the columns extending out of the top of the housing;

iirst bearing means mounted on and adjacent the top of the housing and contacting the columns to slidably guide the columns for vertical movement in the hous- 111g;

second bearing means mounted in the housing a spaced distance below the iirst bearing means and contacting the columns to slidably guide the columns for vertical movement in the housing;

hydraulic ram means within said columns and bearing against the top thereof and against a lower part of the housing, said ram means having a hydraulic line connection for connection to said source, whereby when hydraulic fluid under pressure is supplied by said source said ram means will elongate to raise said carriage upwardly above the floor; and

vehicle supporting means affixed to the top of each of the columns.

2. A lift as set forth in claim 1, wherein said columns are rectangular in horizontal cross section.

3. A lift as set forth in claim 2, wherein said housing has two side walls and two end walls, said columns and bearing means being between said walls and adjacent said end walls, said housing including braces between the side Walls and supporting the adjacent portions of the two second bearing means.

4. A lift as set forth in claim 3, wherein said columns are spaced apart approximately the track width of a vehicle and said vehicle supporting means includes:

separate bolsters, means releasably aflixing the bolsters to the top of the two columns respectively, said bolsters extending toward each other with a portion of each bolster overhanging the side of the column which is adjacent the other column, and two pair of arm means, each pair being affixed to a respective one of said portions, thereby defining a drive-over lift, said afixing means permitting said bolsters to be removed, rotated degrees in a horizontal plane and reaixed to said columns there-by defining a drive-through lift.

5. A lift as set forth in claim 1, wherein said columns are spaced apart approximately the track width of a vehicle and said vehicle supporting means includes:

separate bolsters, means releasably aflixing the bolsters to the top of the two columns respectively, said bolsters extending toward each other with a portion of each bolster overhanging the side of the column which is adjacent the other column, and two pair of arm means, each pair being aflixed to a respective one of said portions, thereby defining a drive-over lift, said aiiixing means permitting said bolsters to be removed rotated 180 degrees in a horizontal plane and reaflixed to said columns thereby defining a drive-through lift.

6. A lift as set forth in claim 1, wherein said housing has two side walls and two end walls, said columns and bearing means being between said walls and adjacent said end walls, said housing including braces between the side walls and supporting the adjacent portions of the two second bearing means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 1/ 1932 Great Britain.

HARVEY C. HORNSBY, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. IS7-8.75 

